What are your priorities when it comes to Special Education?

For all school districts across the U.S., Special Education programs are the litmus test of how well their whole educational system is working. 

It is time for AUSD to elevate its SpEd program. We need to safeguard the budget, increase clear and consistent communication, create a culture of inclusion, recruit and retain credentialed teachers and staff, implement best practices and bring SpEd voices to the table.

SpEd, just like the rest of public education, is a federally unfunded mandate that AUSD struggles to resource. We need to turn an eye outward as we move forward and push state and federal agencies to fund more innovation and excellence in programs.

What is paramount as the district goes into the last year of the strategic plan is that we radically shift the current culture of “can’t” with a culture of “can”. 

Currently, our moderate to severe Special Day classes need to resume safe, in-class instruction as soon as possible. Our SpEd student’s services are considered essential and, with the greenlight of Governor Newsom and the State Secretary of Education, need to be executed so the regressions in education are reversed and critical services and supports can resume.

Special Education Platform:

Budget:

• Protect what little budget the district from Federal sources

• Explore grant options for additional funding

• Raise questions in spending and reduce inefficiencies

• Explore changing SELPA’s

Communication:

• Increased sped community voice (students and families) and input when major changes are taking place

• Improved communications in terms of timing and clarity: revisit sped communications and outreach and ensure it is more sensitive and recognizes the circumstances

• SpEd presentation and agenda item at every board meeting

• Create an online AUSD resource center for families to be able to navigate the ins and out of IEPs and services

• Next phase of the strategic plan with data-driven benchmarks and clear paths of execution and compliance

Inclusion/Culture:

• Increased sped presence in board committees, where appropriate

• Exploration of a SpEd specific board subcommittee

• Have SELPA presence at every general board meeting

• Create cultures of SpEd inclusion early at the Elementary level – like inclusion in all field trips, PE and Music classes

Retention/Recruitment/Training:

• Clear plan for hiring and retaining qualified teachers and staff

• Create benchmarks for getting staff fully credentialed

• Create CEU opportunities for paraprofessionals

• Funding for ongoing training of all school staff, including gen ed, admin, etc to improve overall culture of acceptance and belonging

Innovation/Excellence:

• Find what is working in the district and replicate at all schools

• Find what is working in other districts

• Reward excellence